Touhou: MotH -Redux-
by MiharuAmami
Summary: My name's Miharu Amami. I used to be a normal teenager living in Otsu. That all changed when a series of events led to the bending of the borders surrounding our world. And suddenly my world's unchanging pessimism changed into something illusionary.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Touhou. If I did... it probably wouldn't be as good as it is.**

**Edit 8/29: I actually rewrote this... Oh my. I'm such a procrastinator it's not even funny. Oh gosh, so much has changed... The location and age have been totally modified... So much to do still... Oh dear.**

**Oh, also. I know that some people have an issue with random (romanized) Japanese in fanfiction. Well, this does take place in Japan so they're already speaking Japanese. You just get the translated version. Hence, if I ever use some romanized Japanese it's meant to emphasize those words or it's just something that can't be translated over into English easy (such as honorifics). Just wanted to say something about that. Though, I know not to butcher the language (hopefully). I'm not going to call something, "kawaiiest," or "sugoilly." My friend apparently read a fanfic where someone wrote that. Those aren't even words.**

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><p><strong>BGM: Legend of Hourai (Dolls in Pseudo Paradise)<strong>

It is said for there to be another world, one incomprehensible to the human mind. Full of wonderful beasts, interesting characters, and beautiful landscapes. It is truly an Eastern Paradise. That is the world of Gensokyo, Land of Illusions and Fantasy.

The world itself isn't hard to find. One could find themselves in the world randomly wandering around, unaware of the danger they're heading towards. Who knows if they'll get back to their own world alive?

Out in the world there are youths who wish to reach the legendary world, those who have ties to the world itself. Maribel Hearn and Renko Usami are two of those youths.

That isn't to say there aren't more residing in the Outside World. The world works in its own mysterious ways and the meddling of troublesome beings makes many unnatural occurrences. There's a possibility for all people to have a connection with the legendary land, though those ties are less than clear.

For some, it is possible they were meant to be in the wonderland to begin with.

Somehow, someday, they will find themselves back where they belong. How long it takes, is up to fate.

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><p><strong>BGM: Mystic Dream ~ Snow or Cherry Petal (Touhou 07: PCB)<strong>

I woke up slowly, hitting the alarm clock on my bedside table to make it stop ringing. Light was pouring out through the window shades, creating a dappled pattern of light and shadows on the floor. I didn't bother to marvel at it. It was the same scene every day, so why should I bother?

Getting up lazily from my bed, I head towards the plain closet that resided in the corner of the small room. Everything about my room was plain. The bed with its plain white sheets, the brown desk, even the beige walls. Everything about it screamed ordinary. Just like my life.

The same routine everyday, the world is forever dull and unchanging. I don't complain about this boring life. I know that somewhere, countless children are suffering of worse things than boredom. Even though I know that however, I myself can't help but wish for more. That is the melancholy of human existence.

Getting dressed in the same clothes as usual, a dark blue skirt, white blouse with puffy sleeves and a light blue bow on the back, brown lace up boots with black knee socks, and around my neck my most prized possession. It wasn't anything special. It was only a necklace with a cloud shaped pendant. No matter how plain or simple, it was my precious item.

Grabbing my school bag off from the floor I headed out to the main area. Yet again, a room screaming ordinary. Table sitting in the middle, kitchen off to the side, a single couch on the other side. This was the house I live in. A plain white cottage near the lake. I don't own the house, but it's almost as if I do. Mother may visit once in a while, but she is always off at her job and staying at expensive hotels.

Mother looks nothing like me. My long sky blue hair as opposed to her short black hair. My red eyes that I hide with black colored contacts as opposed to her brown eyes. Nothing about us is similar.

Picking up the rice ball lying on the counter along with the money for the railroad, left over from Mother's last visit, I leave the house and start the long trip to school. I like in Otsu, but school is in Kyoto. It takes usually around 45 minutes to get to school.

I head out and walk to Hamaotsu station, the noise around me being drowned out by my music playing from my phone. I sigh as I head down the same path that I always take.

Nothing in this world is changing. One can only wish for some excitement in their life with such thoughts. And so, I wish for something to change.

**BGM: Retrospective Kyoto (Retrospective 53 Minutes)**

Classes went by in a flash. At home there really isn't anything to do but study, so I've managed to always be near the top of my class in high school. University has been a challenge lately. I had to drop Kendo a while ago to make time for studying, and the trip to and from school also takes a lot of time out of the day. Usually I go to bed at a decent time in order to wake up in time for the ride to school, and get some more studying done on the ride there.

At lunch I headed up to the University's roof. I always head up there to eat, just out of habit I guess. I wonder why I don't go somewhere else to eat, but looking at the view reminds me why. From here I can just watch people go through their daily lives, watching the same routine over and over. The old lady who heads toward the store gets help from the kind young man, the interns at the electronic store heading out for lunch break, it all gives a sense of familiarity.

"Hey!" an energetic voice calls out from behind me. I turn around, seeing a new face sit down next to me on the bench. "I've seen you up here a couple of times," she says, reaching down in her bag.

I watch as she ruffles through her bag, chewing on my rice ball slowly.

"Ah! Here we go!" she exclaims. She brings out the item she was looking for. "Tadah!" She sets down a large bento box in front of us, along with two pairs of chopsticks. I look questioningly at her, wondering what she was doing. She seemed to catch my look, handing me one of the pairs of chopsticks.

"Here," she says. I watch her in confusion as she opens the box and cracks her pair of chopsticks open. She looks at me, expression asking why I wasn't doing anything. "Well? What are you waiting for? Eat!"

With that she started to eat the food in front of her. Slowly, I take the chopsticks and split them apart, taking a piece of pickled cabbage from the box.

"Ah!" I exclaim, the taste hitting me suddenly.

"I take it you like it, eh?" the girl asks me.

I nod, taking another piece from the box. We eat in silence as I cast tiny looks at the girl next to me. I couldn't help but wonder why she decided to approach me. What could she possibly gain by giving me some of her lunch? I continue chewing, thinking about the girl.

"Why?" I ask suddenly.

The girl looks at me in surprise. "Well, you looked kind of lonely just sitting out here, eating that rice ball."

"Thank you," I mutter. "For the food. It really was delicious."

"Oh no problem!" she says happily. "I always seem to have extra. Besides, my friend wasn't here today to eat with me."

"Ah…" So that's why. Her friend wasn't here, so she decided to sit with me instead. I guess that's the real reason.

"Actually," she mutters, taking me out of my thoughts. "I wanted to talk with you for a while." She pauses, eyes scrunched together in thought. I guess that she was looking for the right words to say. Seeming to get them, she continued talking. "You always sat here, just looking out at the city. Doesn't it seem kind of lonely?" She didn't wait for me to answer, instead just continuing on with a laugh. "And so, I supposed that if no one else was going to join you, I might as well!"

She stood up giving a slight bow. I sat there confused for a moment. "I'm Usami Renko, but you can just call me Renko!"

She wrote her name down on a piece of notebook paper, kanji written in surprisingly neat handwriting. I give a slight smile, giving a bow back and writing my name down on the paper. "Amami Miharu. It is a pleasure to meet you, Renko-san."

She stuck her tongue out in response to the honorific. I could tell that she wasn't one for formal honorifics. It's how I was raised though, so they're more out of habit nowadays. "Miharu, eh?" I blinked at her lack of honorific. I revised my opinion of her quickly. She wasn't just one not for formal honorifics, she wasn't one for any honorifics unless necessary.

"I like that name!" she declared with a smile. I blinked in confusion. No one had ever praised my name before. It was a strange feeling. I couldn't help but smile. "Beautiful clear sky, eh? It fits your hair."

I blush, once again not used to praise. "Most people don't like my hair," I mutter. It was true. I always say that I dyed my hair, even though the color is natural.

"They're just jealous," she says in response.

"T-thank you," I stutter out. I shake my head, wondering why I was stuttering all of a sudden. "I like your name too, Renko-san!" I exclaim suddenly. At this point, I had no idea what I was doing. "Lotus child, right? I've always liked lotuses." I continued to ramble on, getting more flustered by the second.

Renko-san gave a short chuckle. "Thanks, Miharu." She reached down for her bag again, bringing out a piece of paper with the words Sealing Club on it. "Hey, I know that we haven't known each other for long, and you haven't met Merry yet, but would you like to join the Sealing Club?"

Renko-san started to ramble on about her club. I thought over it, but I knew that I would accept anyway. Even if the club seemed a little insane. A club investigating the existence of the paranormal and other worlds wasn't exactly your ordinary club. However, I didn't care about how ordinary the club seemed to be. I didn't care about my grades anymore, all I wanted was for something exciting to happen in my life.

"Of course I'll join your club, Renko-san."

Maybe this dull world's unchanging routine isn't an unchanging after all.


End file.
